LABOUR’S frontbench could be allowed to split on the crunch issue of Trident, Jeremy Corbyn has signalled, as a union leader predicted that the party hierarchy would “fudge” the controversial issue.

The party leader is well-known for his opposition to Britain’s nuclear deterrent and plans for its renewal; he is vice-chairman of CND. But others in his frontbench team, most notably Hilary Benn, the Shadow Foreign Secretary, and Lord Falconer, the Justice Secretary, as well as leading members of the Shadow Defence team, are all in favour of Trident renewal.

Suggesting the Labour vote might not be whipped when the UK Parliament decides on the issue – expected early next year – Mr Corbyn told the BBC One's Andrew Marr Show: "We are going to have to discuss it and debate it and come to a philosophical solution to it. But I understand colleagues' views.

"I hope to persuade them that a nuclear-free world is a good thing, that fulfilling our obligations under the nuclear non-proliferation treaty and promoting a nuclear weapons convention is a good thing. They are all signed up to multilateral disarmament, by the way.

"There are many people, military thinkers, who are very concerned(about), indeed opposed to, Trident because they don't see it as part of modern security or defence. They don't see any situation in which Trident would become an option you would think about using. This is a weapon of mass destruction."

The Labour leader suggested that he and his frontbench colleagues would “come to an accommodation of some sort,” stressing: “Watch this space.”

He argued that it would not be "a disaster", if there were two different opinions within the party but added: "I will do my persuasive best to bring them around to my view."

Labour’s overall approach could, potentially, become even more complicated as policy north of the border would be set by the Scottish Labour Party. Kezia Dugdale, the party leader in Edinburgh, is in favour of renewal while Ian Murray, the Shadow Scottish Secretary, is against. The issue is set to be debated at the Scottish conference too. It is possible that both the UK and Scottish parties adopt different positions, which, in each case, their leaders disagree with.

With the Labour conference set to vote on Trident during the party gathering in Brighton, probably on Wednesday during a rescheduled Britain and the World debate, Mr Corbyn said he expected the motion would involve a "series of alternatives" rather than a straight choice on scrapping nuclear weapons.

The decision on whether or not Trident will be debated will be made later today. If, as is expected, it will be included in eight topical issues to be discussed, then the precise motion or motions on the agenda paper will be formulated this evening.

Three motions to scrap Trident have been tabled by several Constituency Labour Parties, decrying the £100 billion life-time cost, while one has been tabled urging retention of Britain’s nuclear deterrent, pointing out how some 13,000 jobs are reliant upon it.

It is thought both the pro and anti-arguments will be tabled along with a motion from the National Executive, leading Sir Paul Kenny, leader of the GMB, which strongly opposes scrapping Trident, to declare: “Everyone will be delighted that fudge is back on the menu at the Labour Party conference."

Gary Smith, Acting Secretary of GMB Scotland, added: “This is not coffee shop politics. These are real jobs for working class people. This is a bread and butter issue for people in Scotland.” It is claimed some 13,000 jobs in the UK are dependent on the nuclear deterrent.

However, Mr Corbyn insisted that his proposal to scrap Britain’s Clyde-based nuclear deterrent would not lead to thousands of job losses as some, including the trade unions fear.

He said: “I want the money that was ear-marked for Trident to invest in engineering and defence diversification, so that people’s jobs are not at risk because of this. In fact, the engineering and employment base of this country would be stronger for that decision.”